Conversations with The Deffades

Today we’d like to introduce you to The Deffades.

Hi The Deffades , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Edie Anderson and Ruby Blackburn (drummer and bassist) have been best friends since we were 5 years old. We met Charlotte Callahan (guitarist) when all three of us were interning at a theater program over the summer of 2023. During our lunch break one day, we got to talking and realized that not only did we have similar music taste, but we all played instruments. We had our first practice soon after and clicked instantly both musically and as friends. We wrote our first song right there; our latest single “Tease Me, So.” Choosing a band name was a chore, as it always is for any band, but because all of us are avid Beatles fans, we used John Lennon’s spoken studio adlib from “Two Of Us” when he jokingly says, “I dig a pigmy, by Charles Hawtrey and the Deaf Aids.” All we did was change the spelling and we had our name (it gets misprounounced all the time but oh well; it’s a good way to find other Beatle nerds!) We spent about a year writing and practicing in Edie’s garage and eventually started playing shows around Los Angeles. We have now played venues such as the Viper Room, the House of Blues Anaheim, the Smell, and the Whisky A-Go-Go (twice!) We have released three singles, two of which have been played on the legendary Rodney Bingenheimer’s radio show on Sirium XM more than once. We are working on a full-length album and are looking to tour this summer (when we are back from college).

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The best part about being in a band with your best friends is that when any problems come about, we can work together to figure it out. We’re really good at communicating with each other, which we do not take for granted. We’ve been lucky enough to have a pretty smooth time of it, but of course some shows are better than others, and sometimes wires get crossed (literally and figuratively). Now that we’re all in college in different parts of the country, the biggest obstacle is figuring out when we’re all home so we can book shows and record, etc.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When it comes to songwriting, Charlotte and Edie are our principle songwriters, but our overall process is very much a collaboration between the three of us. One of us might come to band practice with a full song, or half a song, or just an idea for a song with a couple lyrics or chords, and then we work together to create an arrangement that best fits the vibe and style of the song. The best feeling is when someone brings a new song in, and the others say they feel as if they could’ve written it themselves. As a group, we tend to write songs about experiences we’ve had in relationships, both romantically and platonically. Our shared experiences inside and outside of school helps with the writing process, because if one of us can’t find the perfect way to articulate a feeling or thought, one of the others will. Our ability to collaborate with each other so well is what sets us apart, as well as the fact that we all take turns singing (in the spirit of The Beatles and The Bangles).

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Only two of us have known each other since childhood, but one of our favorite memories with all of us together is one time when we were taking a break at band practice, and Charlotte got an email from Loyola Marymount University; her top choice for college. We stood in a circle as she opened the emai; and jumped around screaming when she got in. To celebrate, we all jumped in Edie’s pool. It was January. So it was cold. But we had to commemorate the moment, so we didn’t care. We continued band practice afterwards.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeffades?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDeffades
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7ukflXZTcdzwZCksvzBKAQ?si=qVw6L0k8SCefeJymhMfjCw

Image Credits
Personal Photo: Jack Lue

Additional Pics:
1) Elena Moreno
2) Don Marcelo
3) Elena Moreno
4) Karyn Burleigh
5, 6, 7) Jack Lue
8) Rony Alwin